Package discharge and stacking device



Jan. 4, 1955 M. A. SCHWARTZ Erm. 2,698,694

PACKAGE DISCHARGE AND STACKING DEVICE Filed June l. 1950` 2 Sheets-Sheetl /5 /5 1 i.. f, I :i

ATTORN Jam 4, 1955 M. A. scHwARTz ETAT. 2,698,694

PACKAGE DISCHARGE AND STACKING DEVICE Filed June l, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet2 United States Patent O PACKAGE DISCHARGE AND STACKING DEVICE Morris A.Schwartz, North Plainfield, and Gasper Paul Beck, Highland Park, N. J.,assignors to Johnson & Johnson, a corporation of New Jersey ApplicationJune 1, 1950, Serial No. 165,413

Claims. (Cl. 214-7) The present invention relates to a device forejecting at or sheet-like products from a conveyor and for stacking theejected products.

The present invention may be used in connection with automatic machinesfor operating upon or making substantially flat products, such asadhesive bandage units. Each of these adhesive bandage units ordinarilycomprises a strip of adhesive tape of rectangular oblong shape centrallycarrying a small gauze pad and enclosed in suitable wrapping material,such as glassine.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improveddevice for ejecting substantially at products from a conveyor and forstacking these products neatly and efhciently for convenientretrievement and/or packaging.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ejecting andstacking device of the improved character described particularlysuitable for use in connection with adhesive bandage units.

As a feature of the present invention, the flat products, and morespecifically the bandage units, are carried by a conveyor continuouslyand in succession past an ejecting and stacking station. At thisstation, an ejector device, in the form of a rotary lobated cam memberis operated in predetermined time relationship with respect to theconveyor, to eject the bandage units from the conveyor as they reachthis station, and to move them towards stacking position.

As a further feature, a latch is employed operable to permit the ejectedbandage units to be moved successively into the magazine for stacking,but holding the stack inthe magazine at its entry end against expansionor displacement out of the magazine.

Various other objects, features and advantages of the invention areapparent from the following particular description and from aninspection of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a vertical section of an assembly comprising a conveyor and anejecting and stacking device operable in connection therewith andembodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the assembly;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken along the lines 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the ejecting and stacking device shownwhile the unit is about to be ejected from the conveyor towards thestacking magazine;

ig. 5 is a vertical section of the ejecting and stacking device butshown at a later phase, as the ejected unit is being moved past thelatch into the stacking magazine;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the ejecting and stacking device, butshown at a still later phase, after the ejected unit has been moved pastthe latch; and

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the ejecting and stacking device andshown in the tinal stages of the stacking cycle, after the ejected unithas been moved completely into the stacking magazine.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a conveyor 10 which is adaptedto advance continuously and successively the at articles 11, and morespecifically the adhesive bandage units described, towards the eld ofaction of an ejecting and stacking device 12 embodying the presentinvention and which may constitute' part of an automatic machine foroperating on, processing or making these units.

' The conveyor 10 comprises a pair of parallel spaced endless conveyorchains 13 shown of the articulated link type, and more specifically ofthe Morse silent type, and passing over drive sprockets 14 and overidler sprockets (not shown) to support and drive the chains in unison ata predetermined rate. These conveyor chains 13 carry unit supportinglugs 15 arranged on the two chains in aligned paired relationship toengage the longitudinal edge of each unit 11 at spaced sections thereofand to cause the unit to advance edgewise and sidewise through themachine. The conveyor 10 has a substantially vertical run, as shown,constituting the discharge section of the machine and the units 11 aresupported on edge on the chain lugs 15 across the conveyor chains 13 andare arranged therealong at intervals for advancement in succession intothe field of action of the ejecting and stacking device 12. The conveyorchains 13 have horizontal runs extending through the automatic machineand adapted to carry the units 11 from one operating station to another.The lugs 15 on these horizontal runs act as pushers to move the units 11along the machine as shown in Fig. l and as the conveyor chains 13 moveover the sprockets 14, these units slide on to the next pair of alignedlugs to be supported thereon during the vertical run of the chains.

Guide strips 16 between the conveyor chains 13, and secured to bars 17mounted on side frames 18 flanking the conveyor 10, are desirablyprovided to maintain the units 11 in transversely upright positions onthe chain lugs 15, as these units are moved downwardly by said chains.To maintain the units 11 centrally with respect to the conveyors 13 asthese units are moved downwardly, side guide rails 19 may be providedsecured to the side frames 18.

The ejecting and stacking device 12 comprises a stacking magazine 20 anda rotary member 21 for ejecting the units from the conveyor 10, as theunits reach a position opposite the inlet of the magazine and forpushing them into the magazine for stacking. The stacking magazine 20comprises a horizontal table or base plate 22 and side walls 23 integralwith or otherwise secured to the base plate and dening therewith astacking tray in which the ejected units 11 are collected and piled. Thewidth of this stacking tray between the confronting faces of its sidewalls 23 is substantially equal to the lengths of the units 11 and theheight of these side walls is desirably less than the height of theunits 11, to permit the easy removal of these units from the tray.

The base plate 22 of the stacking tray 20 has its inner end section 24extending into the space between the two conveyor chains 13 to form astop for the units 11 on the chain, as these units reach a positionopposite the stacking tray, and to form a support for the units, as theyare ejected from the chains and are pushed by the rotary ejector 21towards the tray.

For holding the stack of units 11 in the tray 20 at a suficient distancefrom the common plane of the two conveyor chains 13 to permit the freeoperation of the rotary ejector 21 and at the same time to permit theaddition of successive units to the stack, there is provided the latch25. This latch comprises a leaf spring 26 secured at one end 27 to afinger 28 and carrying at its other end, as for example by welding, adetent or paw] 30 in the space between this finger and the plane of thetwo conveyor chains 13. This latch supporting finger 28 is in the formof a plate and is mounted in position spaced from the plane of the twoconveyor chains 13, as for example by means of angle brackets 31 securedto the lower frame bar 17.

The latch detent 30 is of triangular cross-section to present a camsurface 32 inclined downwardly away from the plane of the two conveyorchains 13 and a substantially vertical surface 33 defining a stopshoulder to prevent the stack from expanding inwardly towards thisplane. The leaf spring 26 is curvedly bent, as shown, to urge yieldablyand resiliently the latch detent 30 downwardly in stack holdingposition.

The rotary ejector 21 is in the general form of a cam and comprises twosimilar axially registering discs 35 parallel to each other and locatedbetween the planes of the two conveyor chains 13. These discs 35 areconnected for rotation in unison to a shaft 36 which is driven in timesequence with the movement of the conveyor by any suitable means, as forexample by means of a sprocket and chain drive transmission 37 operatingbetween this shaft and the shaft of the conveyor drives 14 and which isspaced inwardly from the inner side of the conveyor.

Each of the cam discs 35 is provided with a plurality of cogs or lobes38, four being shown, equally spaced and adapted to extend successivelythrough the space between the conveyor chains 13, as the disc isrotated, and to engage peripherally thereby the confronting faces of theunits 11 on the chains for ejection operations as these unitssuccessively reach the stop end section 24 of the base tray plate 22.Each of these lobes 38 is shaped to define a substantially straightclearance edge 40, whose distance from the center of the disc 35 along adirection normal to this edge is equal to the distance between thecenter of the disc and the inner plane of the faces of the units 11supported on the conveyor 10, a substantially circular edge 41 mergingat one end into one end of the straight edge 40 through a rounded heeledge 42 and extending substantially concentrically with respect to theaxis of rotation of the disc and a substantially radial edge 43connecting the other end of this circular edge and the end of thestraight edge 40 of the next successive lobe 38. The cam 21 is rotatedat such a speed with respect to the conveyor 10 and its rotativeposition is so arranged with respect to the position of the conveyorthat, as a unit 11 on the conveyor reaches the stop section 24 of thebase tray plate 22, the two straight edges 40 on the registering lobes38 of the two cam discs 35 are in face contact with the inner face ofthis unit, as shown in Fig. 4. Also, the cam 21 and the conveyor 10 arerelatively timed to bring the lobes 38 successively into operation, asthe units on the conveyor are moved successively in position oppositethe stacking tray 20.

In the operation of the apparatus described, as the conveyor 10 carriesthe units 11 successively downward, the cam 21 is rotating clockwise intime sequence therewith. As a unit 11 on the conveyor 10 reaches theinner end section 24 of the base tray plate 22, it is stopped thereby,as shown in Fig. 4, while the conveyor continues its downward movement.At the same time, the corresponding straight edges 40 on the tworegistering lobes 38 of the cam discs 35 reach a position insubstantially continuous contact with the inner face of the stopped unit11. As the cam discs 35 continue their clockwise rotation, the two heeledges 42, engaging the upper section of the stopped unit 11, eject theunit from the conveyor chains 13 and move it along the inclined surface32 of the latch detent 30, as shown in Fig. 5. This causes the latchdetent 30 to be cammed upwardly out of the way of the unit being ejectedand stacked, until the upper section of this unit passes beyond thedetent. At that instant, the latch detent 30 snaps down under the actionof the spring 26 into position to hold the upper section of the lastejected unit behind the detent.

As the cam 21 continues its rotation, the circular edges 41 of theactive registering lobes 38 engaging the face of the last ejected unit11 ride downwardly along this face, to straighten the unit intotransversely upright position, as shown in Fig. 6. As these circularlobe edges 41 are leaving the last ejected unit 11, the next unit 11 onthe conveyor 10 is moving towards the stop end section 24 of the basetray plate 22 and, at the sarne time, the straight edges 40 of the nextsuccessive pair of registering lobes 38 are moving into position toengage the inner face of the latter unit and to repeat the ejecting andstacking operation therewith, as shown in Fig. 7. These successiveejecting and stacking operations are continued with successive units 11.Each time a unit is added to the stack, the stack is pushed ahead tomake room for the addition.

No follower or packing head is shown in the tray for the stack and noneis necessary. The units 11 may tilt with progressively increasinginclination towards the outer end of the stack, without such a follower,but the units 11 in the inner end section of the stack will bemaintained in transversely upright position, as shown.

The operator can grab a bunch of the units in the outer end section ofthe stack with his lingers conveniently and without disturbing therelative positions of these units and can insert them into a box orcarton for packaging.

What is claimed is:

1. ln combination, a pair of opposed conveyor belts operablecontinuously in unison and having substantially horizontal runs as wellas substantially vertical runs to advance flat rectangular oblong unitsfrom a receiving station to a discharge station, said belts beingprovided with an endless series of pairs of projecting lugs, the pairsbeing spaced apart in the direction of travel at a distancesubstantially greater than the width of each individual unit to alloweach said unit when traveling along the vertical runs of the belts tofall by gravity out of contact at its trailing edge with one pair oflugs, which pushes it along the horizontal runs, into contact at itsleading edge with the next preceding pair of lugs, which then supportsthe unit and presents it under the action of gravity to the dischargestation, a continuously operated rotary ejector arranged at thedischarge station for ejecting the units one at a time from the verticalrun of the conveyor belts as they reach the station, and means foroperating the rotary ejector and the conveyor belts in timed relation.

2. In combination, a pair of opposed conveyor belts operablecontinuously in unison and having substantially horizontal runs as wellas substantially vertical runs to advance at rectangular oblong unitsfrom a receiving station to a discharge station, said belts beingprovided with an endless series of pairs of projecting lugs, the pairsbeing spaced apart in the direction of travel at a distancesubstantially greater than the width of each individual unit to alloweach said unit when traveling along the vertical runs of the belts tofall by gravity out of contact at its trailing edge with one pair oflugs, which pushes it along the horizontal runs, into contact at itsleading edge with the next preceding pair of lugs, which then supportsthe unit and presents it under the action of gravity to the dischargestation, a stationary stop arranged in the path of travel of theadvancing units to arrest them one by one at the discharge station andto support them at said station as the conveyor belts continue theiroperation, a continuously operated rotary ejector arranged at thedischarge station for ejecting the units one at a time from the verticalrun of the conveyor belts as they reach the station, and means foroperating the rotary ejector and the conveyor belts in timed relation.

3. In combination, a continuously movable endless conveyor having asubstantially vertical run and having means for supporting substantiallyflat units in predetermined spaced relationship on said run andpositively advancing them edgewise successively downward in said spacedrelationship, a stop for the units in the path of the vertical conveyorrun, a rotary cam separate from and near the stop and having a lobe witha clearance edge spaced at every point from the axis of the cam adistance no greater than the distance from said axis to any part of thecam confronting face of a unit supported against the conveyor andresting on the stop, whereby when the clearance edge is opposite a unitsupported against the conveyor and resting on the stop, it affordsclearance for the latter unit, means for operating the cam and theconveyor in time sequence to bring the clearance edge in one phaseopposite a unit supported on the conveyor, as the latter unit reachesthe stop, whereby the latter unit reaches the stop under the positiveadvancing action of the conveyor free from interference from the cam,said cam lobe also having a unit ejecting edge adjoining the clearanceedge arranged at a distance from said axis greater than the distancefrom said axis to said clearance edge and contoured to engage the uniton the conveyor resting on the stop as the cam continues to rotate fromsaid phase and thereby to eject the latter unit from the conveyor andalong the stop.

4. In combination, a continuously movable endless conveyor having asubstantially vertical run and having means for supporting substantiallyflat units in predetermined spaced relationship on said run andpositively advancing them edgewise successively downward in said spacedrelationship, a stop for the units in the path of the vertical conveyorrun, a rotary cam separate from and near said stop and having a lobewith a substantially straight clearance edge and a convexly curvedadjoining ejecting cam edge, said clearance edge being located to affordclearance for the unit on the conveyor when said unit reaches the stopand when said edge is in position nearest the latter unit and parallelto the vertical conveyor run, and means for operating the cam and theconveyor in time sequence to bring said clearance edge in one phaseparallel to said run and opposite a unit on the conveyor as said unitreaches the stop, whereby said unit reaches the stop under the positiveadvancing action of the conveyor free from interference from said cam,said ejecting edge being located and contoured to engage the unit on theconveyor resting on the stop as the cam continues to rotate from saidphase and thereby to eject the latter unit from the conveyor and alongthe stop.

5. In combination, a continuously movable endless conveyor having asubstantially vertical run and having means for supporting substantiallyat units in predetermined spaced relationship on said run and positivelyadvancing them edgewise successively downward in said spacedrelationship, a stop for the units in the path of the vertical conveyorrun, a rotary cam separate from and near the stop and having a series ofsimilar lobes equally spaced therearound, each of said lobes having asubstantially straight clearance edge whose distance from the axis ofsaid cam along a direction normal to said edge is no greater than theperpendicular distance between the axis of said cam and the inner planeof the faces of the units supported on said run, said straight edgebeing located to extend in one rotative phase of the cam in positionparallel to said run and along the face of a unit on the conveyorresting on the stop to afford clearance for the unit on the stop, andmeans for operating the cam and the conveyor in time sequence to bringthe straight edge in one phase opposite a unit supported on theconveyor, as the latter unit reaches the stop, whereby the latter unitreaches the stop under the positive advancing action of the conveyorfree from interference from the cam, said cam lobe also having acircular cam edge merging at one end into one end of said straight edgethrough a rounded heel edge and extending substantially concentricallywith respect to the cam axis at a distance from said axis greater thanthat of said straight edge, and a substantially radial edge connectingthe other end of said circular edge and the end of the straight edge ofthe next successive lobe, and means for operating the cam and theconveyor in time sequence to bring the straight edges of said lobessuccessively into positions parallel to said run and opposite said unitsas said units successively reach said stop, said circular edges beingcontoured to engage the units successively on the conveyor resting onthe stop as the cam rotates and to eject the latter units from theconveyor and along the stop.

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